In 2009 I watched a fabulous BBC series starring Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine. It was called Last Chance to See, a follow-up to a BBC radio series 20 years earlier when Douglas Adams (of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy fame) and Carwardine had sought out a number of animals teetering on the brink of … Continue reading Last Chance to See
We had low expectations of Jakarta. Expectations which were largely met. It’s a giant city crammed with millions of people but with little soul. There’s the National Monument roughly in the centre, which you can go to the top of for the worst view of Jakarta possible, because you can’t see the National Monument. In … Continue reading Jakarta
There’s a lot of phrases relating stress to physical weight. And I can now tell you how much weight is required for something to become a stressful event. It’s 7.1+kgs. Allow me to explain. I booked our flights to and from Indonesia with Etihad. They had two selling points that trumped all other options. Price. … Continue reading The Etihad Experience
Most people visiting Siem Reap will buy themselves either a one day, a two day or a three day pass to Angkor Wat and the other associated temples/ruins. There’s a whole bunch of temples, but Angkor Wat is the one that the Buddhists took on from the Hindus, as such is the best preserved. What … Continue reading Whelmed at Angkor Wat
If life is a box of chocolates, then China is a bowl of olives. That first olive you bite on - the taste isn’t particularly pleasant. But it’s different to anything you’ve tasted before. You’re not sure if you like it or not. You have to try another. Still not sure? China, like the olive, … Continue reading Beijing
What can I say about Cambodia? It’s got all the charm, smiles, temples and cultural delights of its southern neighbour, Thailand. It shares a complicated bond of sorts with Vietnam to the east - both victims of the ‘American War’. It’s gloriously hot and sunny. Who doesn’t love sitting on a perch next to the … Continue reading Cambodia
I’m getting old. There are obvious signs of getting old. I won’t list them all, because I’d bore you. There’s a reasonable chance you’re also a bit old, or getting there, and will be familiar with most of them anyway. And if I tried to make a list, I’d find I’ve forgotten most of them. … Continue reading The Ageing Traveller
The Mexile 